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A survey conducted by the Department of Health (DOH) found that 15% of adult Filipinos are tobacco smokers while 40% drink alcohol.
In a statement, the DOH said 3,087 adult Filipinos participated in its second cell phone survey in January this year, which looked at risk factors for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
The survey found that 15.5% of Filipino adults smoke tobacco, of which 22.6% are men and 8.5% are women. About 1 in 10 men or 13.4% of adult men smoked tobacco daily, compared to 4.4% of women. The use of smokeless tobacco was also higher among men.
The study also found that the alcohol consumption of adult Filipinos was “high”, with 40.1% of respondents reporting having drunk alcohol in the 30 days preceding the survey. Alcohol consumption was higher among men at 51.4% than among women at 28.9%.
One in three respondents also reported having had six or more drinks on one occasion. Men reported higher rates of binge drinking than women.
The survey also found that 90.1% of respondents consumed less than the recommended five servings of fruit or vegetables per day. Less than 1% say they do not consume fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.
Another 60.2% said they always or often add salt when cooking or preparing food, with 39.5% always or often adding salt or salty sauces to their food before eating. About a third of respondents said they always or often eat processed foods high in salt.
The DOH said that one in 10 Filipino adults or 14.1% of men and 11.3% of women reported being clinically diagnosed with hyperglycemia or diabetes.
Of this number, 49.2% were on antidiabetic therapy. A quarter of Filipino adults also said they had previously been told by a healthcare professional that they had high blood pressure, while 54.5% were taking medication to control their high blood pressure.
“NCDs continue to contribute to death and disability in the Philippines, but their effects can be reversed by changing daily behavioral patterns, including reducing smoking, harmful alcohol use, unhealthy eating, and physical inactivity.” , said the DOH.
“The study claims that NCDs and [their] risk factors affect the individual and Filipino society as a whole. The data presented a solid basis for further strengthening the prevention strategies undertaken by the Ministry of Health, ”he added. – RSJ, GMA News
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